What's a green box and why is it so famous? Well, just like a baseball dugout, that's where the stories are told. The "Green Box" appeared on the Baseball Historian web site during our inception back in 1999 and has been holding kangaroo court ever since. Enjoy the stories...

Center Stage - 1960 - Mound Stars

Pitching was the way to go during the early 1960s. No, they didn't act like media darlings, but then, this was before inflated salaries. They performed brazenly for their teams and on national television, and yet, before a twinkle of the eye became distant memories.

Pitchers' Bios:

Frank Baumann, Chicago White Sox - he broke into the majors with the Red Sox in '55 and was used as a starter and reliever... His best season in Boston was 1959, when he posted a 6-4 record, 4.05 ERA in 26 games, and completed 2-of-10 starts, 95 2/3 innings.

He was traded to the White Sox in time for the 1960 season and pitching in a much bigger ballpark, led the majors with a 2.67 earned run average, had a career-year, with a 13-6 record, appeared in 47 games, threw 2 shutouts, 3 saves, completed 7-of-20 starts, and allowed just 169 hits in 185 1/3 innings. Frank Baumann career stats: 45-38 W/L, 4.11 ERA, 244 Games, 78GS, 19GC, 4 Shutouts, 13 Saves in 797.3 innings... Red Sox 1955-'59; White Sox 1960-65.

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Mike McCormick, San Francisco Giants - a flame-thrower with outstanding control, he broke in with the old New York Giants back in 1956... and, after the team moved to San Francisco McCormick became one of the National League's leading pitchers.

In 1958, he completed 8-of-28 starts, hurled 2 shutouts in 178 1/3 innings, and followed that season with a 12-16 mark, 3.99 ERA in '59... A well-regarded left-hander, he worked 17 major league seasons, led the NL in ERA in 1960, with a 2.70 ERA, and went 15-12 in 34 starts. McCormick was traded to the Orioles in '63, pitched again with the Giants in 1967 and reached stardom by winning the Cy Young Award that year. Now, armed with a hard-breaking curveball and an outstanding screw ball he posted a sparkling 22-10 W/L record, had a 2.85 ERA, tossed 5 shutouts along with a stingy .226 opponents batting average.